We’re thrilled to have graffiti artist Joseph Gaston drawing live at Sapphire Lounge tonight as a part of BAP’s 4 night Creative Week event. Joseph Gaston is an urban artist whose major work is mainly focused on the influences and roots of street art. Come by tonight and see him in action. Click here for more info and to get on the guest list (Free).

10 Questions // Joseph Gaston: New York

1. What inspires you these days?

Although I am constantly bombarded by a bewildering variety of stimulation to do my work, my major inspirations that I receive on a daily basis are the forms, shapes and compositions that I found all over the street on sidewalks, walls and on found objects, which are accidentally and exceptionally formed by the stupendously psychological phenomenon called pareidolia.

2. Who are your heroes?

Those who have humbled themselves in the face of (replace: Humanity for “humanities”) are my heroes. A few of them are, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu dearly known as Mother Teresa, (erase: humanity) & civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi soulfully known as Mahatma Gandhi, and The Lamb Of God Jesus Christ. That’s iT!

3. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Help someone in need when you have the power and opportunity to do so, and have fun in whatever you like & love to do.

4. What scares the hell out of you?

The limitations some people put before themselves when there’s really nothing in their way which prevent them from moving forward, and, an ignorant closed mind caused by self pride.

5. What makes you laugh hard?

Unexpected funny occurrences, the “You Got Punk’d” show, America’s Funniest Home Videos, the What Would You Do show, and the spontaneous irrationally of some folks.

6. Who are your favorite artists of all time?

First, for his innovated compositions, I’d say is Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso, remarkably known as Picasso, second, for his striking and spontaneous lines is Franz Jozef Kline, then third, for his emotional depictions and strong suggestive energies on canvas is Willem de Kooning, and finally for his subliminal and fascinating images and dream-like kaleidoscopic & polychromatic colors is Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, notably known as Salvador Dalí, and lovingly renamed as “El Loco Dali.”

7. What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Eating too many Häagen-Dazs ice creams.

8. If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

My own promptness.

9. What’s your favorite thing in the world?

Thinking & feeling as a child even though I am in a grown-up body.

10. What comes to mind when you think of Brooklyn?

The Funkiness, Flow & Vibes of an Underground Culture.

More about Joseph Gaston

Joseph Gaston is an urban artist whose major work is mainly focused on the influences and roots of street art. After his emergence as an abstract & Graffiti Artist between the late 1980’s and mid 1990’s, his presently oeuvre is being recognized by his New Yorker-figurative style, strongly influenced by world-renown Graffiti-centered, New York’s artists like Futura 2000, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring and among other remarkable artists who still are representing New York’s urban & underground Art scenery of the street.